


Percico| Mental Institution AU

by orphan_account



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Abuse, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Mental Institution, Anxiety Disorder, Depression, Drug Abuse, Eating Disorders, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mental Institutions, Multi, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Why Did I Write This?, but it's not super dark or something, lots of disorders, this is like 'a god-knows-how-long in the life of the Half-Blood Mental Institution', yeah..
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-04
Updated: 2016-04-13
Packaged: 2018-05-31 03:37:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6453829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Okay, so me and my bro/cousin Brendan gonna try writing together.</p><p>We both love Percy Jackson so....fuck it.</p><p> </p><p>~MAX&BREN</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1

((06:10 AM))

Percy wasn't the most insane person out there, in fact, he wasn't insane at all. He just had a slight case of 'Chronic Hero Disorder' that means he had to save everyone. Make sure they're okay. But it was only a light case, not too severe. Another disorder he had was dyslexia, which though annoying at times, didn't bother him much. So why is he on his way to a Mental Institution? No goddamned clue, but his mother was trying to make the best of it. Said woman glanced at him with a sorrowful, nervous look as she drove towards the facility. Her eyes were slightly red around the edges due to crying the previous night and her lips were cracked and ruddy from biting them. 

"I'm sorry, Percy. I don't want you to go, but it'll be best if you do. I'll visit every chance I get and make sure you get settled, okay? I love you." Sally said when they stopped at a red light. The teen didn't really care, it was like going to camp, except kinda permanent. And possibly for the rest of his life. "It's okay, mom. I understand. You don't have to come with me, I'm a big boy now." Percy chuckled, head leaning against the window as the rest of the ride was silent, the only thing breaking the quiet being his luggage rusting in the back. The boy's sea green eyes watched as the scenery changed from the busy streets to the quieter areas near the hospitals and medical centers. Percy gave a cheerful smile to his mother, leaning over to kiss her forehead one last time before grabbing his bags and leaving the vehicle. He knew his mother wasn't leaving until she saw him enter the building safely, so he waved before he stepped into the pristine reception.

A short looking woman with dark hair and green eyes, a tanned complexion that suited her nicely. She looked up, her short curls bouncing as she beamed brightly at Percy. He shuffled towards the receptionist, a small smile making his cheeks rosy, "Hi. Uh, I'm a new patient, Percy Jackson." He informed, holding his hand out for the short lady to shake. "Hiya, kid! I'm Lou Ellen, come with me." She seemed nice enough, holding his hand and leading him to a entirely different suit and showing him to a tall blonde with blue eyes and another man in a wheel chair. They turned at the sound of their arrival, Wheelchair-Guy smiling in the friendliest way possibly, the blonde doing the same. "Hello, you must be Percy. I'm Chiron, welcome to Half-Blood Institution." He greeted warmly, wheeling towards him and shaking his hand. Chiron gestured to the other, "This is Will, he'll take you to your new room, hope you don't mind roommates." He smiled again, "It's okay, I don't mind making new friends!" Percy reassured, earning a worried glance between the two men. Why would they be worried? What kinda roommate did Percy have?

Will instantly beamed again, taking one of the shorter's bags and beckoning him to follow him down the many halls with many rooms to one near the back of the building. ' _Room 313_ ' He reminded himself in case he were to forget. Will knocked once, waiting for something on the other side. A muffled voice called,

"Fuck off, I'm not taking the damn pills!" Will chuckled, knocking again, the sound of a bottle opening echoing through the door. Then Will sighed, rolled his eyes and said, "Nico, it's Will. You have a roommate! You also have five seconds to put the bottle away before I tell Chiron." He threatened, tapping on the door from five. A muffled 'Fuck' came from the room before the door opened and a shortish boy opened the door, death glare focused on the blonde. "I hate you." The brunette stated before returning to his bed and placing headphones over his ears. Percy set his bags by the other bed and started unpacking. The tanned boy lingered around the doorway hesitantly before going over to the boy and nudging him, playful smile on his face. The paler male sighed, removed his headphones and placed them on his pillow, "What, Solace." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Nico, this is Percy. He's going to be your roommate." He said kindly, ignoring the glare thrown his way again. If those dark eyes were to be focused on Percy, surely he would've cowered away, so why didn't it work on Will? Well, judging from his uniform, he was a worker here, so maybe he was used to it. He also seemed buddy-buddy with the boy, too. Percy waved and smiled when the glare dissipated into nothing but a bored look, "Hi, Nico." All he got was a nod before Nico shooed the nurse out of the room and returning to his headphones and small music device again. A muffled voice chided from the other side of the door. "Try to socialize, Death Boy!" Death Boy? Well, it did suit the shorter boy quite well from his looks. "So, Nico...wanna play twenty questions?" The boy in question didn't say anything, just taking his headphones off again and nodding. "What do you want to know?" He asked, moving to lean against the wall behind him.

Percy smiled again, making Nico scowl. "You smile too much." He stated, letting his black tresses fall in front of his eyes. Green eyes watched as the pasty boy pulled his sweater sleeves over his hands and seemingly shrunk in on himself. "Haha. What's wrong with you? Why are you here?" He questioned, laying on his stomach and kicking his legs as he observed his new roommate. 

Why was he so pale? Nico's eyes were so dark, they could stare straight through your soul and his hair made him look an even sicklier shade of pale in comparison. His clothes seemed to be a black sweater that was about three sized too big for him, dark grey jeans that hugged his legs and had holes on the knees and a pair of clunky boots. His hair was shaggy and messy in a cute way and when he pulled some of the thick locks behind his ear, you cold see a few studs trailing along his earlobe. He sounded american with a small hint of Italian somewhere. His lips were chewed and bitten, looking a faded coral or baby pink when the blood rushed to them. Nico had a rather skinny build, frail and fragile and seemed even more adorable with how he brought his knees to his chest and hugged them close like a life line. Yeah, Percy thought Nico was pretty admirable. Cute, adorable...he may even go as to say he already had a crush on him even though he only knew him for five minutes. 

"Uh...About two years ago I was diagnosed with Anxiety Disorder and Insomnia, a year ago I was diagnosed with PTSD, depression and...when I got here, a few others I'd rather not talk about. Another three, to be exact." He said blandly, staring boredly out the window, trying to avoid the curious boy's bright gaze. "Ah man, It's okay. I have Chronic Hero Syndrome. It'll get better soon, okay?" He assured, coming over and sitting next to the small male on his charcoal comforter. Nico huffed a short laugh, barely a sound coming out of his mouth. "What's so funny? Those aren't funny things, Nico." He just shook his head, eyes closed, "Nothing. Just laughing at something an old friend told me, nothing important." He dismissed, stretching and sighing. Percy focused on the white and messy lines across his wrists closest to his hands. He didn't say anything, meeting eyes with Nico, who bit his lip and brought his hands down, eyes averted as he adjusted the sleeves again. Percy brought the corners of his lips up in a sympathetic smile. "I don't want your sympa-" "I know," He interrupted, letting an arm sling over his narrow shoulders as he brought his other hand up to pat his head of unruly locks affectionately, "I know; but just know that if you need someone to talk to, I'm always here." Nico nodded, a little stiff with the sudden contact, but unlike with everyone else, he didn't mind. "Don't hurt yourself, okay?" Nico's eyes widened, looking up at the pools of ocean green above him, but he couldn't make words form. Until Percy took the words out of his mouth,

"I understand that you can't promise me anything, but just try, okay? And if you ever feel down, again, I'm right here, and I'm here to help." He soothed Nico's obvious tenseness. And, surprisingly, it worked. He relaxed against Percy's side-embrace, head leaning on his broad shoulder. He smiled again, it was barely there; a ghost of a grin, but it was there long enough for the taller to notice. "I see it now." He murmured, not taking his eyes of the taller teen. "See what?" He asked innocently. Nico shook his head, "No, tell me." Percy insisted.

"The hero side of you. You barely know me and you want to help me." That made Percy smile even more, eyes forming crescents with how bright his beam was. Nico shifted, making Percy's arm drop as he moved away from him slightly, "Enough of the sappy crap, let's continue with the questions."

((Twenty minutes later))

Nico looked up just as a knock on the door interrupted the pair's conversation about dolphins and what their skulls looked like. A short girl with cinnamon curls and cocoa skin grinned, eyes shining, "Nico! You didn't tell me you had a new roommate! We'll get to know him at breakfast, c'mon!" She giggled, grabbing the pale boy's hands along with Percy's and skipping towards a large mess-hall. Everyone seemed to be sitting at a table with around eleven seats, the girl who dragged them there skipping off to get in line for food. They seemed to have breakfast at 07:35, it seemed. Percy got in line behind the girl, Nico standing next to him with his tray. "Percy, this is my little sister, Hazel. Hazel, this is Seaweed Brains." He introduced, falling silent afterwards. His eyes became glazed over as he got lost in his head. After a second, as they moved forward, "You're gonna want to eat something, otherwise they diagnose you with anorexia." He informed in a monotone voice, bored looking as he put a measly amount of bacon and eggs onto his paper plate before grabbing a large, large mug of black coffee and a shit ton of sugar packets before heading over to the table with Percy and Hazel. The shorter ignored the disapproving looks of the nurses floating around, their judging eyes landing on his small amount of food on his tray. 

Only once his sister sat down did he realize there weren't enough seats for everyone. There were now twelve kids instead of eleven: guess he's just going to sit at another table, then. Nico turned to walk to another table when Percy's strong hand caught his elbow, "C'mere." He said, pulling the smaller into his lap, his tray besides Percy's. "Uh..." Nico couldn't think of a protest, staring numbly at his slowly cooling 'meal'. Jason, a pretty close friend of his, sat on his right, Hazel on his left, well, technically Percy's left, but he was seated on his lap so...yeah. Everyone laughed and had bright conversation, sending teasing glances and comments at the Italian on the newbie's lap. Jason was keen on teasing him in particular. "I knew you were a lap-boy, Neeks." He jabbed, poking his side playfully. Nico bristled, "No touching." He growled, batting his hand away. At that, Jason gave him a 'come on' look, gesturing to how Percy had his arm around him to keep him steady. The new patient got along with the others well enough, bonding ecstatically with a blonde girl with grey eyes, she said her name was Annabeth and another boy with bronze skin and curly hair, his name was Leo, Jason's boyfriend. Jason was...the blonde boy to his right who seemed also close to his tiny crush who was sat in his lap. Hazel was the girl to his left, the cinnamon curls and bright eyes, Nico's little sister. She was in a relationship with Frank Zhang, the (not to be racist) Asian looking boy with the neat hair and content expression. Thalia was a girl near the end of the table, dark hair, but the same sky pigmented eyes as her brother, Jason. Piper was..Leo and Jason's girlfriend, they're polyamory-if he could remember correctly. Grover was a nice guy sitting across from him and he had already finished his plate, staring at Nico's still full one eagerly. "Hey, Nico-are you gonna finish that?" 

Nico shook his head. "Can I have it?" He shook his head again, pulling the tray a little closer. Grover pouted, begging silently, "Why~?" He drew out his last syllable, whining like a child. "We both know why, so get over the fact you aren't getting more." And with that, the conversation was over. Confused, Percy leaned down by Nico's ear and asked quietly over the chatter, "Why can't Grover have you food? You don't look like you're going to eat it." Nico inhaled and exhaled, eyes closed and fingers playing with the seems and loose strings of his skull decorated sweater as if he was anxious, " Grover's bulimic. If he eats too much, he'll have the urge to throw it all up later." Percy nodded in understanding, throwing a sympathetic smile his way as Grove continued to pout and stare longingly at Nico's plate. "Aren't you going to eat?" He asked just as quietly, comparing his empty plate to Nico's untouched one. Nico shook his head. "Why?" He watched as Nico swallowed thickly gnawing his lip as he tried to think up an answer, "Not hungry. Never am in the morning." He said before sipping from his mug. Someone said something about it being time to go to group and everyone threw away their leftovers and went into the entertainment center that was basically the living room that all the corridors led to. There was a large circle of chairs, everyone taking one and chatting as they waited for the person who usually talked with the lot of them.

Nico sat quietly, knees brought to his chest again and arms hugging them tightly as he sat in the uncomfortable plastic chair next to Percy. Jason sat on his other side, the others sitting pretty much anywhere to be with their friends or with their boyfriends/girlfriends. Percy was perplexed as Nico continued to play with the loose string on his sleeves or clawing his upper arms when he crossed them, legs still brought to his chest. In the same tone he had used earlier, he asked, "What's wrong? You look upset." He shook his head and curled up that tiny bit more, making himself as small as he could on the white chair. Jason sensed his slight discomfort, reaching over and patting his messy bedhead as he continued talking with his partners, Leo and Piper. 

A tall, stick-thin woman with sharp features strut in, thick frames perched on her pointed nose as her greying hair was brought back in a painfully tight bun, "Everyone hush." She instructed, taking a seat on the empty chair at the top of the circle, clipboard on her lap. She crossed her legs and the spotless pencil skirt she wore looked terribly uncomfortable as her posture reminded as straight as a board in the chair. Everyone did as told, quieting down and remained quiet. The woman smiled, "As you know, I am Miss.Evergreen, your Counselor, a friend you can speak your insecurities to and confide in. As you also know, our..previous way of opening up to everyone wasn't exactly working, so I decided since we have a new person anyways, we might as well start from scratch. Today, we will share how we are feeling and how we get along with each other, alright? Okay, Hazel, please start." The woman had a silky voice with that sickening tone of honey underneath that made Percy want to vomit, Nico looked just as bad as he felt. Hazel smiled, cheeks rosy from smiling so much since breakfast.

"Hello! I'm Hazel, though we all know that! I feel...happy! Happy and content to be with all my friends and family." She said simply, her smile growing slightly strained when Miss.E's eyes focused on her for any signs of lying before she moved onto Frank. Said boy waved mutely, "I'm Frank. I am very calm and I think I have a pretty good relationship with everyone in this room-Oh, Nico; you still owe me a match of Mythomagic later." He added, nodding at the small boy who smiled back. Mythomagic? Percy'll ask about it later. And everyone re-introduced themselves and said how they felt, shared sappy feelings in a circle like kinfergartners until Miss.E's gaze fell on the new patient at Half-Blood Mental Institution. He ignored the icy eyes focused on him and smiled, "Hiya, I'm Percy, you're new friend hopefully! I'm feeling pretty chill, happy making new friends and getting on with my roommate, Nico. And I think I'll get along with everyone here." He beamed again, arm slung around Nico's shoulder's casually when he mentioned the small Italian. Then the woman's piercing look turned to Nico, who's turn it was to spill.

But instead of speaking, Nico just buried his face in the neck of his sweater and remained silent. "Nico, we discussed this last time, you need to share how you are feeling. It'll get things off your chest and rela-" "Fuck off." He muttered, standing up and walking towards his room. Protests were called from the elderly lady, though they went by ignored and brushed off as the sound of his door slamming was heard. She paused, staring at his empty seat. "Percy, you said he was your roommate, yes?" He nodded, "Try to get him back for me, we'll continue this." He nodded again, jogging off towards their room. 

He knocked on the door softly, leaning his head against it when there was no answer, "Nico, it's Percy." He said. He knocked again before the handle turned and the door opened, a small Nico standing there with his head down and feet shuffling as he stared at his boots. "Hey." He muttered, letting him in before shutting the door and curling up on his bed. The other brunette stood in the middle of the room, unsure how to approach the distressed boy. "Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, sitting on the edge of Nico's bed, not too close that they were touching, but close enough for Nico to reach for him if necessary. "Nothing, I'm fine." He sighed, reaching for his headphones and MP3. Feeling he wouldn't get an answer, He changed the topic. He wrapped an arm around Nico's waist, rolling him over to face him instead of the wall, "Whatcha listening to?" The sad looking boy shrugged, pulling out the headphones and letting the music blast in the silence.

" _Do you ever feel like breaking down?  
 Do you ever feel out of place?_ __  
Like somehow you just don't belong  
 And no one understands you?  


 _Do you ever wanna run away?_  
Do you lock yourself in your room?  
With the radio on turned up so loud  
That no one hears you screaming?"

"It's _Welcome To My Life_ by _Simple Plan_." Nico explained, pausing it and turning it off, letting his head fall onto the pillow. Percy hadn't noticed it until now, but Nico looked...broken. He had dark rings under his eyes and his eyes themselves looked like shattered glass. Somethings, some people have done that to him. Made him sad and broken and...Percy hated it. It made him feel angry for some reason. He didn't like seeing his friend like this. A twist knotted in his stomach at the thought of seeing or knowing why Nico was so upset, but he wanted to know at the same time, so he could make him feel better. A knock on the door broke the silence, making Nico growl when the clack of heels on the floor accompanied the knock, "Have they come out yet? We need to get this over with." Miss.E's snippy voice huffed, the person who knocked chuckled, "Leave me to it, Miss.E. I've got this." It sounded like...Will? yeah, Will Solace, the guy who was buddy-buddy with Nico. Another huff was heard and the click-clack of heels faded away and the knock resounded in the silent room. "Death Boy? Open up." Nico sighed, sitting up, but Percy beat him to the door, smiling at Will and letting him in.

 The sunny blonde made his way over to Nico, crouching down by his head, and playing with a few strands of the midnight tendrils, "What's up? You look as deflated as a balloon." Nico huffed, rolling over to face the wall again, arms crossed and fingers itching at the fabric around his wrists. "I'm fine." He growled, bringing his knees to his chest in a fetal position. "Just let them continue without me. I hate doing that crap-" "I know, trust me, I know you hate it. But..." He trailed off, his large hand rubbing circles into his back, "C'mon, it can't be that bad, can it?" One look at Nico's face said that it was the most horrible thing in existence. Will sighed exasperatedly, "Fine, I'll see what I can do. Perse, would you mind staying with Nico?" He nodded, sitting back on the edge of the bed as Will shut the door. Nico turned again, his head peaking over his shoulder as he stared at the green eyes boy for a while, "Sorry." He sniffed, his freckled nose scrunching up before smoothing out again. Percy furrowed his eyebrows, "For what? You didn't do anything." Nico rolled his dark eyes and worried at his lip again, beads of crimson pooling around his teeth.

"Hey, I don't know what you're beating yourself up over, but it's fine." He soothed, reaching out slowly and softly prying the shorter's teeth from his lip. Nico sighed, his teeth returning to chew his lips once Percy let go. He made a 'really?' look and let a smile slip even though he was trying to be stern with the boy. "C'mere, you look like you need a hug." He cooed, pulling the frail kid into his lap and hugging him peacefully for the rest of the day until lunch. When it was lunch, Jason had come in, informing them that they need to come to the mess-hall and smirked at Percy knowingly. When Nico walked off a little dazedly, Jason pulled Percy to the side, "Yo, bro." Percy smiled, "Hey bro." Jason looked slightly conflicted, "You know that he..uh.." He made a cutting motion on his arm and the other nodded, "Neeks' like a little brother to me, if I hear that you've hurt him, I won't hesitate to kill you. Just..be careful. He's probably been through the most throughout the entire gang. I understand that you are crushin' on him, I can see it, just be patient." And with that, the pair ran after Nico to grab food and sit at the table, Nico sitting on Percy's lap again. Lunch went the same way breakfast did, Grover whining that Nico wouldn't give him his food, Nico refusing to give up his food even though he wasn't eating it and sipping from his coffee mug.

After lunch, everyone was free to do what they want, Nico and Percy heading back to their room for some quiet. Nico stared at the ceiling, itching at his wrists again as Percy talked with his mom on the phone. 

"Yes, I'm fine. I miss you too, bye." He hung up and placed his cellphone on his nightstand and glanced at Nico's arms again. Percy walked over, sitting next to the Italian on the bed, "Hey." He sighed, staring at his fidgeting hands. Nico nodded, concentration apparent on his face as his nails grated painfully against the thick fabric, most likely irritating any new cuts. Mutely, The taller teen reached down, pulled Nico into his lap and held his hands, stopping them from scratching furiously. Nico continued to fidget, wriggling his toes, rubbing the insides of his arms against his sides where Percy held his hands gently, his chin resting on the smaller's shoulder. "You don't have to answer, but why are you so fidgety all of a sudden? You were fine at breakfast." Nico sighed deeply, eyebrows drawn and eyes closed as he tried to focus on something else. "It's itchy and it hurts." He whispered, leaning against the broad chest behind him. Percy stayed silent, not sure what to say. "..Just try to ignore it. How about we talk about something to get your mind off of it, yeah?" Nico nodded, still in Percy's lap, hands intertwined to prevent scratching. "What do you want to talk about?" Percy paused again, 

"Why won't you eat anything at meal time?" He regretted that the minute he said it, feeling his friend stiffen against him. "Uh-sorry. You don't have to answer tha-" Nico reached up and held his hand over his mouth, when he was satisfied that he wouldn't be interrupted, he spoke. "I was diagnosed with anorexia when I first came here, but it turned out I had | had it long before I was sent here." He muttered, hands now wrapped around himself self consciously. "I didn't even know I had it, I just thought I was never hungry, but _no_ , I had an eating disorder along with more crap that lowers my self esteem." He rambled, hands returning to his arms and scratching subconsciously. Percy grabbed his hands again, gently so that if he wanted to he could get out of his grasp and brought his arms to his face. Nico turned to face him, his mouth no longer moving as he watched Percy roll up the dark cotton. His pasty arms were thin and scarred, words and lines carved into the slightly freckled skin. Without words, Percy brought an arm to his mouth and pressed kisses against every mark, eyes trained on Nico for signs of discomfort.

But Nico just stared wide-eyed. His mouth and soft lips formed a soft 'O' and his eyes watched Percy's, unblinking as various emotions crossed his face. When he was done, Percy pulled the fragile boy into a large hug and held him peacefully until Leo came in to tell them it was time for dinner. Recovering from the recent show of affection, Nico numbly stumbled to the mess-hall with Percy, not even grabbing a tray for food he wouldn't eat before just sitting in his lap at the table and watched everyone soundlessly. He didn't say a word or even look at anyone, just sort of hid his cute little face in Percy's blue shirt until dinner was over and everyone was to return to their rooms for the night. After hugging Hazel goodnight, Nico entered the room after Percy and curled up on his bed again, not even trying to sleep. And insomniac wouldn't be able to, after all.

Percy was sleeping soundly when he heard Nico shift and turn restlessly. He looked up with sleepy eyes in the dark, watching the boy's tossing form for a moment before he gave up and stared at the ceiling. "N..Nico?" With the croak of his sleepy voice the boy jumped, a somewhat guilty look on his face, "Sorry. Did I wake you?" He didn't want to admit it, but Nico had woken him up, but he didn't say it. Instead he shook his head and sat up and tiptoed over to Nico's bed and crouched by his head like Will had earlier. "What's keeping you up?" He asked quietly. Nico sat up, making space on the bed for him. As Percy climbed into the dark blankets, wrapping an arm around Nico and let him lay against his chest. "..I don't know. Insomniacs never sleep." He muttered into the blue shirt, eyes looking up at Percy. "What you did earlier..." Oh no, did Nico not like that? Possibilities and scenarios started playing out in Percy's head and what he might've done wrong, to be interrupted by the adorable dark mess in his arms. "Why? N-Not that I don't appreciate it, but...why?" Oh, so Nico did like it. Okay. Cool. He shrugged, letting his fingers card through Nico's hair in a soothing manner. "Just...trying to make you feel better." The vibrations from Nico's hum sent warmth through him and he remained quiet until he heard the steady breathing of the boy he was hugging around four in the morning. After he was sure, Nico was asleep, he let himself sleep too.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disorders:  
> Percy: Chronic Hero Syndrome, Dyslexia  
> Nico: Depression, Insomnia, Anxiety Disorder, Anorexia, PTSD, Alcohol Abuse, Abuse  
> Annabeth: Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Insomnia  
> Hazel: Bipolar, Mixed-State  
> Clarisse: Passive Aggressive, Parasmonia  
> Frank: Multiple Personality Disorder  
> Leo: OCD, PTSD, Slight Amnesia, Acute Stress Reaction  
> Jason: PTSD, Insomnia, Inhalant Abuse, Drug Abuse  
> Piper: Substance-Related Disorder, Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder  
> Grover: Pain Disorder, Bulimia  
> Thalia: Cotard's Syndrome, Claustrophobia
> 
> (We're too lazy to tell you what they mean, copy+paste, Google~MAX&BREN)

((A Week Later))

Percy woke with a slight start, the sound of a pill bottle being rattled startling him. He blinked open his eyes to see a blurry image of Nico dumping multiple fuzzy colors into his pale hand. "Neeks?" The other jumped and put the bottle down, shoving the pills into his mouth and swallowing thickly. "Yeff?" He muffled, walking over and sitting on the edge of Percy's bed. "W-What're you doing? It's..." He trailed off, having looked at the clock that read ten past seven. "Never mind. What's the drugs for?" Nico shrugged, "Some new meds they got me on for anxiety and stress." Percy glanced at the shorter's hands, which were shaking slightly and worrying the hem of his hoodie. "You 'kay?" Nico nodded, licking his lips. "Get up, we have breakfast in twenty minutes." He said, getting up and walking out to the bathroom.

Percy got up and stretched, yawning drowsily. Whilst Nico was doing whatever in the bathroom, Percy pulled a simple blue shirt over his head of messy dark hair and fell over trying to get his leg through his jeans. Best way to wake up. Ever. The small, cute boy re-entered the bedroom, a strange bottle in his hand that smelled like cherries. "What's that?" Percy asked, coming over and examining the large...wine bottle. Nico's porcelain cheeks dusted a rosy hue and his dark eyes widened slightly. "Oh yeah. Haha, forgot you were awake." What did that mean. Nico coughed, popping off the top with his thumb and chugging half the bottle before shoving it under his bed. "That, my friend, is cherry wine." Percy's eyes widened, "What?! Nico!" Said teen was lounging casually on his bed, seemingly unaffected by the strong drink. He waved a careless hand at him like any other time, staring boredly at the ceiling. "Wh-Wh..the fuck?" Percy hissed, pulling the shorter into a sitting position, eyes level with his. Nico shrugged, "Alcohol withdrawal." As if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Then the taller noticed that he was no longer shaking or fidgeting. "Why? You don't drink-They won't let you." Nico grinned a smile that was note meant for the sane to wear, "Did before I got here. It's a thing called alcohol abuse, Perce. Lotta things happen here. Jason? Drug and inhalant abuse, get withdrawal all the time, comes to me at least twice a week to try and calm down, asking for a fix." This was news. Nico continued, "Piper's got substance-related disorder, gets withdrawal like me and Jay all the time."

How the fuck was Nico so calm and relaxed talking about this? Turns out he's a mind-reader, too, because Nico answered his thought with another smile, "Two years is long enough to get over something that scarred you physically and emotionally, Percy. Once you get over yourself, it's easier to put others first." He...he never really thought of it like that. But then again, how could he? His mind's clogged with the desperate need to help people, save lives, so on. Never thinking about the complications you must get through to do so. "Stop worrying your little head over it, Jackson. It's normal for things like this to happen." How was he so accepting? Something in his eyes said he was furious with these predicaments, but his body language screamed relaxed and uncaring. Nico was conflicted about something, and Percy didn't know what. He let it slide, "Just...leave the bottle down. C'mon, let's go to breakfast." He forced a smile, dragging Nico out of the room and into the many complex halls that lead to the mess-hall. "So what do other have? What 'problems' that made them come here." Nico took a deep breath, running a hand through his messy bedhead.

"Thalia has Cotard's Syndrome and claustrophobia, Jason has inhalant and drug abuse, PTSD and insomnia, Annabeth has Narcissistic Personality and Insomnia, Clarisse has parasomnia and is Passive-Aggressive, Frank has Multiple Personalities, Leo has OCD, PTSD, Slight Amnesia and Acute Stress Reaction, Piper has Substance-Related Disorder and Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder, Grover has pain disorder and bulimia and Hazel has..." He thought for a moment, because his half-sister never really seemed to have any problems-"She's bipolar and mixed state. You have Chronic Hero Syndrome and Dyslexia and I have Anxiety, PTSD, Insomnia, Depression, Anorexia and the recently discovered Alcohol abuse." That still leaves one more thing that Percy doesn't know, which made him curious and eager to know. "What about the last one?" Nico hummed, pouring coffee into his Styrofoam cup. "You told me you had several disorders or reasons being here when I first met you, you've told me six. What's the last one?" Nico rolled his eyes, "Abuse." As if it was a simple thing, "I'm sorry to here tha-" Nico snorted loudly, an amused look on his face. "You sound like you're trying to cheer me up after my dog died or something." Percy spluttered as they went to the table where everyone was jittering and more excited than normal. "Why's everyone so excited?" Nico asked over the noise, taking his now usual place on the newer patient's lap. Hazel shrugged from her place across from the pair, a befuddled look on her bronze features. 

Annabeth tapped a spoon against the table, everyone quieting down to listen to the wise girl. "Okay, we're all excited, I understand, but some people don't even know why. So, here's the big deal-it's visiting day!" She squealed, jumping in her chair, bright smile on her face. Some people cheered, others froze in shock or maybe dread: Nico, Hazel, Jason and Piper. A unison of "Fuck this." Was heard from the for before they simultaneously stood up and speed-walked out of the room, leaving they coffees, pancakes and anything else they had on their trays. Confused, Percy glanced at Frank, who had a sort of guilty look on his face. "Di Angelos have a horrible relationship with their dad and step-mom, Jason and Piper having complicated things with their parents because of the drug abuse." Percy nodded, about to get up when Annabeth grabbed his arm, shaking her head. "Leave them be, they need to be alone." Percy's chest tightened, he couldn't leave Nico alone with that bottle in his room or by himself in general, gods knows what he'd do. "They're not alone, they're together, don't worry." The knowing girl reassured, patting his shoulder before returning to her seat.

((Ten minutes later))

The squad of four came back in, Hazel a dazed and her eyes red-rimmed like Jason and Piper, who were holding hands as if that was the only thing keeping them there and Nico shuffling in behind them, tired, bored and worn-out. He seemed to've been the only one who hadn't been crying. Just then, Hazel's hands started shaking and broken sniffles escaped her and Nico was instantly by her side, taking her to the side and calming the upset girl in a manner so soft, Percy didn't know he was capable of. After she had calmed, Hazel returned to her seat quietly, holding Frank's arm as she picked at her food. Nico sighed, splaying out in the middle of the floor Whilst everyone ate. "Nico?" Said teen gave whoever asked a middle finger, other hand rubbing his eyes tiredly. Percy chuckled, "Nicoooo. Neeks. Di Angelo. Nico. C'mere." Nico groaned, rolled over so he was facing the floor, making everyone laugh. He let out a childish whine, "Don't laugh at me!" He cried out, a pout on his plush lips and his eyebrows furrowed adorably, making people laugh harder and brightening the atmosphere. A few of the nurses on the sidelines started coming closer to the patient, who was still laying on the floor, doing childish things that made everyone laugh, it dawned on Percy: Nico made people laugh at his own expense. Self sacrifice in a way. But one of the nurses was close enough to grab him, making a disgusted look on their face. "Get up." They ordered, hands on their hips. Nico looked up from his laying position, another bored expression blanking he face. "Nah, I'm good." The nurse huffed and repeated their order, the entire table hysterical. Nico crossed his arms as he laid on his back, glaring deathly daggers at the nurse. Now in a great bout of discomfort under the boy's hateful look, they tried to regain composure. "Get up, now. I'll get Chiron." Nico shrugged, a smirk on his lips, "Fucking do it. See if I care."

The nurse scowled at him, reaching down to pull him up when Nico gripped their wrist hard enough to hear the bones scrape together, "Last time I checked, nurse's aren't allowed to touch patients without permission." He growled. The nurse ripped their hand away, rubbing it painfully. "Get up, please." Nico shook his head, "Fucking Bite me." The nurse leaned into their radio, "Doctor Solace, please come to the mess-hall, over." Nico whooped in triumph as the nurse walked back to their place around the edges of the room, staring at the brunette with hatred. By now, Nico had gotten off the floor and walked back to the table, sitting casually on the laughing Percy's lap as if nothing happened. Will came into the room, bright smile making the nurses flinch as he strode over to the table. "Death Boy, I heard you've been causing difficulty. Again." He chuckled, making Nico stand up and talk with him as the others calmed down, resuming their breakfast. 

Nico put on an innocent look, eyes still gleaming with mischief. "What~? I would never do that!" He exclaimed, hand on his chest dramatically. Will rolled his eyes, smile still on his face. "We have cameras in here, y'know. I saw everything." Nico froze, face as blank as a canvas as he processed that information. "Maybe it wasn't me. Maybe it was the Ghost King." Everyone laughed again but Percy. Who was the Ghost King? Will chuckled fondly, "Nico, the Ghost King is you. We all know this." He groaned, exhaling in defeat. The blonde's smile faltered, "Why does your breath smell of wine?" Again, Nico went rigid, biting his lip guiltily. "...nothing." Will sighed, ribbing his temples as he looked down at the shorter boy. Jason had an outburst, "WHAT!?"

He stood up, a jealous look on his face. "You had wine and didn't share? How dare you!" He exclaimed, gripping Nico by his shirt, not angrily, but enough to make Nico jolt a little. Will sighed, separating them and patting their heads. "Where is it?" Jason and the paler boy shared a look, making Will grip their arms before they could bolt. "Nope. Not again, you two. Nico, please tell me where it is." He sighed again, carefully letting them go. Nico looked down, "Bedroom." Will nodded, patting the boys' heads again and leaving to get rid of the wine. "I would've shared it with you, by the way. Was gonna invite you after lunch, 'nd all." Nico muttered, both boys heading back to their seats disappointingly. Hazel stared at Nico, "Really?" Nico nodded, a grin on his face. His sister rolled her eyes, flicking peas at him.

Leo piped up from the other end of the table, "I don't understand how you manage to get the wine in | in the first place." The guilty Italian shrugged, rubbing his neck, "Magic." Jason groaned and wined about not getting a fix for the rest of the time, complaining that Nico sucks at sharing and so on. Will popped his head back through the doorway, "Get ready for your visitors, guys!" He called cheerfully before leaving. Nico got up, Percy following him back to their room. The dark haired boy looked under his bed, sighing when he saw the bottle gone. "That was some good, aged wine, too." He grumbled, rubbing his temples like the doctor had earlier. "At least we don't have group until after lunch." Percy tried, slinging an arm around the smaller's shoulder.

"Who's coming to see you, Perce?" Nico asked, flopping back onto his black bed. "My mom. Who's coming for you?" Nico cringed, clearly uncomfortable. "My dad..step-mom and maybe my friend, Reyna." Percy nodded, "Whose she?" Nico sat up, a small smile on his face. "Me and Hazel's sister. Not related, but she's like one. As you can tell, I have a lot of sisters." He breathed out a laugh, staring at his hands. "She's amazing, she's caring, understanding, stubborn and a little protective, but I am, too. We both love Hazel so much, she's probably the only reason why both of us are still here." That made Percy's stomach knot again, "What do you mean?" Nico shrugged, "Reyna has depression, too, but not as bad. Without a reason to be here, she would've left a long time ago...but she found us whilst we still went to school, cared for us, looked after us when we weren't at home, protected us and...she's just-ha. Reyna is one of the few people I would trust with my life, along with you, Jason and Hazel. Anyone else, fuck them." Something fluttered in Percy's chest when Nico said that he trusted the sea-green eyes boy. He smiled, "You can always count on me, Neeks." Ruffling his hair.

A knock on the door alerted them both as a familiar girl with cinnamon hair and golden eyes peeked her head through, "Can I talk with Nico?" He nodded, got up and closed the door behind him. Percy could hear their murmuring through the door.

"What's up?" Nico asked, a faint tinge of worry in his low voice.  
"J-Just...what if something happens again?"  
Nico growled, "Nothing will happen again. Just stay with me, we'll be fine."  
A shuddered breath came through the door, "Yeah," Hazel's voice lit up, "D'ya think Reyna's gonna come?"  
"Hmm. Maybe. She still has to go to school, y'know. It is Wednesday and school starts at eight. It's already ten to."

Hazel hummed in agreement, "Stay safe." She kissed his cheek as Nico opened the door before walking off, a smile on her face. Nico rolled his eyes, stepping into the room again and yawning. Over the span of the past few weeks, the circles under his eyes have gotten darker, more apparent and all the more worrying, his lips more chapped and less meat on his bones. It made Percy upset when he thought about it for too long. He shook it off as he stood up, stretching. "Let's go wait for our visitors to show up, huh?" Nico nodded, grabbing a pad of paper and a pencil to keep him entertained. It would be at least another half out before they arrived, anyways. So drawing was a nice way to pass the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its short.
> 
> Too tired to continue last night, forgot to continue it this morning. Too lazy to do it right now~MAX&BREN
> 
> PS: We will try to become more frequent with updating this, sorry!


	3. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percico finally happens.

Percy sighed as he flopped back on one of the couches in the common area, his legs becoming numb from sitting on them for so long. His little friend with the pale olive skin, the fluffy hair and the small frame was sat next to him, left hand lazily doodling across a piece of paper in his lap. Nico's dark eyes were half lidded in either a bored or tired way, full bottom lip caught between his teeth as the pigment rushed to them as they were chewed on. It was boring in the living room, no one was there and the boys were waiting for the visitors even though it was quarter to ten. Sure, people were supposed to arrive around ten, twenty past maybe, but Percy was bored. Bored, bored, bored, sitting next to his adorable crush and bored. Yes, his adorable crush. Who had the most beautiful doe eyes he had ever seen. They way they were like an endless spiral of burnt maroon, mahogany and dark oak black with random specks of scarlet and amber. Like the coals of a dying fire.

When the hell did Percy get so descriptive?

Shaking the thought off, Percy stared at the doors, waiting excitedly like a puppy. If he had a tail, it would've made a dent in the couch behind him from how hard it would've been wagging when Will walked in with a small crowd of adults behind him and one teen with a braid. A familiar, worn face with smile wrinkles and bright eyes was among the small gathering of people, Sally Jackson beamed at him. Will allowed the parents and carers to wander around to find their child/children. Sally rushed over and holding Percy's face in her soothing hands. "Percy! It's so nice to see you, sweetie." She sighed, wrapping him in a hug. The dark haired boy grinned, "Mom! It's great to see you too. Hey, this is my friend, Ni-" He paused, seeing the space next to him empty. A small ravenette rushed out the room when another walked in, his skin pale and hair shaggy and messy.

Percy brushed it off, "I guess he went to get his sister." Sally smiled, sitting on the couch with her son, "So, have you settled into your new room?" The boy nodded, "I've made so many new friends. Jason, Piper, Leo, Annabeth, Clarisse, Frank, Grover, Thalia, Hazel and.."He sighed in a dreamily fashion, "Nico. He's awesome. He's also my roommate." He explained, smiling dozily. Sally flashed her son a knowing smile and wiggled her eyebrows, "My son has a crush~" She sang quietly, squeezing the air out of him. Percy's face heated up, "Mom! Shush!" He whined, returning the hug. "Wanna..go see my room?" He inquired, pulling his mother to her feet and leading her to room 313. The sound of yelling came from down the hall, drawing both Jackson's attention. Creeping around the corner, there was a sight that Percy never wanted to see again.

Nico was standing in front of Hazel. Though on the short side, Nico was of average height, covering Hazel completely. An older man with wild, ebony hair and skin as pale as Nico's growled, hands fisted by his sides and his dark eyes flashing dangerously. "Nico! Will you behave for once?! Come here now!" The man ordered, his black trench coat waving around his boots as he stomped. Percy's gut clenched when the similarity between the two males was nearly identical. But a few things differentiated them:  

The man, presumably Nico and Hazel's father, had eyes as soulless as he was pale, a constant sense of death following him. True that Nico too had a dangerous feeling to him, the small teen altered it with his moods. Nico's orbs held no hope, all that was left was a muddle of emotions and broken glass, but Nico's custodian's eyes were furious, deranged and no remorse. It was chilling, a shiver clawing down Percy's spine.

Nico growled, deep and low in his throat, also making the unknown spectators jumps slightly. "Leave. Get the fuck out of here, asshole." The stranger stomped his foot again, clenching his teeth, "You do not speak to me in such a way, young man." Nico shrugged, a sudden change in behavior. A smirk pulled at his lips, "See me talk to you otherwise, old man. Now, kindly get the fuck outta here." Three pairs of eyes landed on the waving movements of slender, pale hands behind his dark sweater. Liquid gold eyes watched in understanding, slowly creeping away from the scene and meeting two pairs of ocean green and blue. Hazel mouthed two words, 'Follow me' before jogging down the hall towards Will's office. Once out of hearing range, the cinnamon curled girl called at the top of her lungs, "WILL! WILL! WILL! NICO'S-" The blonde's smile was gone and his blue eyes cold and icy, he nodded curtly, "I already know. Stay here, Hazel." He warned, sprinting off back the way they came.

The trio waited for what felt like centuries, yells, cussing and growls heard from around the corner as Will forcefully shoved the male out of the building, Nico trailing behind slightly. Immediately, the doctor sped back to the teen, checking his pulse or any sign of injury. Nico swayed slightly, leaning to one side and a bruise forming around one of his chocolate eyes as a hand clutched his side and the other gripping Will's shoulder for balance. Still, the ravenette turned to his sister, a large Cheshire Cat grin on his face, "Guess who showed up." He muttered as the doors opened and a furious looking girl stormed through, fists clenched and instantly releasing as she caught sight of Nico and Hazel. Nico, forgetting his injuries, rammed into the taller female along with his half-sister, crying a unison of, "Reyna!" 'Reyna' cracked a smile on her previously angry face, enveloping the siblings in her arms and nuzzling their frizzy and unruly hair. 

Before Percy got a chance to assure that he was okay, Nico was dragged away by Reyna and Hazel towards an area he didn't know too well. Will sighed and sent an Oscar-winning smile at Sally before returning to his office. The green eyes boy turned to his mother, a wary smile pulling his mouth. "Well then. Tell me about this Nico boy.." She teased, guiding them back to the living room. The teen groaned, burying his face in his hands, "Mom....can we not?"  Sally shook her head, a knowing kind of expression on her face that said 'we will talk about this. No way out'. He sighed, turning to face his mom embarrassedly. "Nico is...ugh, he's just Nico." He felt his cheeks warm again, an adoring and..proud smile gracing his face. Percy didn't know why he felt such admiration towards the di Angelo boy.

"I just...whenever I'm near him, I just have to protect him, and I don't think it's the Chronic Hero Syndrome, either. You saw him, right? All skinny and small like. Th-That's not what he is. Nico is strong, independent and I even go as far as to say he's gentle. Nico is broken in a way. I want to fix him, mom. He needs someone there, he never lets anyone in. He's got a number of reasons to be here, yet he doesn't act like it! He's suffering from anxiety, insomnia, depression, abuse, alcohol abuse and whatever else, and he's still too wrapped up in trying to help others that he neglects himself! He doesn't eat or sleep, the only thing I've seen him drink since I've been here is coffee and half a bottle of wine that he smuggled in somehow!" Percy threw his hands in the air in exasperation, noticing his mother's amused and somewhat troubled look.

"He's so...once you get to know him, he's a whole new person. He'll beat the crap out of anyone who hurts those he loves and he's just there for everyone. Even if it looks like he hates everyone, which is super convincing, he cares for everyone. He's kind, quiet, gentle. Sure, he's had a few moments that...aren't sane, but he's Nico! Anyone who's gone through that would've definitely died of exhaustion by now. He's compassionate, adorable, fuck-he's perfect! Perfect in every single way, from his looks to his personality. It's obvious he's helped everyone here in some way, even if he wont admit it. Nico. Nico-I don't know what to do with him, mom. He's the best person I've ever met, besides you, of course."

 

He ended his lecture, hands dropping to his knees as he closed his eyes. Yes, Nico was everything he just said and more. A soft chuckle escaped the kind hearted woman across the couch from him, "You got it bad, huh?" Percy nodded, smiling tiredly. "It's cute when he sits on my lap instead of getting an extra chair." He mumbled, thinking back to every time they've eaten in the mess hall, including that morning. "Well, does he like you back?" Percy shrugged, "I dunno...I think it's more of a brotherly love he feels for me, coming to me when he had a nightmare, if he does sleep. Or coming to me after a stressful conversation-" Sally held up her hand, glancing over her son's shoulder, "Hey!" She smiled, waving halfheartedly. "You must be Nico!" She greeted, getting up and walking over to Nico and Reyna, who was headed towards the doors. Reyna side-hugged Nico and placed a sweet kiss on his temple, saluted him and left, her messy braid falling off her shoulder on the way out.

Nico stood still after waving out his friend, turning back to Sally. He nodded politely, "Yeah..hi." He said, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans as he made his way around the couch and started heading away, "Nico, c'mere! I want you to...Neeks?"  Percy followed Nico's confused gaze to his mother, who was grinning like a madwoman, nudging her head at her son ever few seconds. Nico seemed to get the message, though, his porcelain cheeks flushing brightly as he fiddled with the hem of his sweater. "I-I uh..I gotta go." He murmured, absconding at a quick pace. Before Percy could say anything, Sally pulled her son to his feet, reeling him in for a hug and nudging him in the direction Nico left. "I've got to go, I'll visit some other time, sweetie. Go get your man!" She dug her elbow into his ribs jokingly before leaving the building. The brunette stood, dumbfounded for a moment. He shook it off and jogged after Nico. 

He caught the slightly younger just as he was stepping into their room. "Nico! Neeks, I'm so sorry about-" Nico let out a sound like a mix between a giggle and an attempt to stop it. It was fucking cuter than a baby in a push-chair. "It's fine, all moms're like that, right? Embarrassing, over-protective, but you love them anyways." He sighed, entering their room and curling up on his bed. "Take advantage that she's still around, Perce. One day she'll be gone, and you'll regret all those times you said bad things and hurt her. Even if you didn't realize it. Cherish it, Percy." He muffled into his pillow before soft breathing came from the small boy. Wow, Nico was really pushin' some buttons here. In the good way, not...any _other_ way.

Percy stole himself, carefully sliding under Nico and hugging him close to his chest and sighed contentedly. This was nice, just chillin' with his crush, maybe boyfriend one day, enjoying the piece. Soon, Percy drifted off, too.

((Hours later, like after dinner-They've woken up and stuff))

Percy shuffled back into the room, plopping on Nico's bed and groaning. "Neeks, Neeks, Neeks, Imma need your special cuddles~" He teased, making grabby hands at the boy before him, "Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaasssssse." He whined, eventually pulling the shorter into his embrace and breathing in the scent of pomegranates and almonds. Nico shifted, hiding his blushing face in Percy's orange shirt. "P-Percy, I need to tell you something.." He murmured, pulling back.

Nico looked nervous, scared even. Percy instantly felt like something was wrong, "What's wrong?" The short Italian fiddled with his fingers, biting his lip. "Well, uh...(how do I say this)..I kinda like you? Like-like you.." He sputtered, not meeting the older's eyes.

Holy. Motherfucking. Fuck. Nico liked him? Nico liked him. Nico liked him! Hell yes! Score for Percy Jackson! Ahem, Percy beamed, reeling Nico in for another hug. "Would you mind if I said I liked you too?" He asked into his messy locks. Nico looked at him with big, adoring eyes, another emotion joining the confusing mess in them, making them a shade lighter, hope maybe? In one move, their lips connected, moving in unison, as if they'd known each other for years.

Soft noises left the small boy as Percy's hands found his lovely hips, his pale hands carding through Percy's hair.

Until air decided to ruin the moment. Fuck you, oxygen, Percy doesn't care if he needs you to survive.

They pulled back, small pants leaving them. "I love you, Nico." Percy sighed, pulling Nico in for another kiss, pecking his nose, his eyelids and his cheeks.

"Love you too, Perce."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, this is finished (FINALLY).
> 
> So, reviews and feedback is appreciated, did you like MAX&BREN working together? Should we stop working together? Let us no, guys.
> 
> BTW, Max has more stories for y'all to read, may not all be Percy J, but y'know. Stories, go check 'em out.
> 
> ~MAX&BREN

**Author's Note:**

> staying up 'til four in the morning is fun.  
> We were going to make this a one-shot, but we're super tired, so...three chapters tops.  
> ~MAX&BREN


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